A recent New York Times story talked about how print books are on the rebound, while digital books are on a sudden decline. eBook sales sharply decreased this year, while print books remain steady. Even more so, bookstores are seeing profits and sales of digital readers, like Kindle, are declining.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

It appears the terror over the end of print books – with their aroma, words on paper you can touch, and the stacked bookshelves that display them – maybe waning. Some people are relaxing or are relieved to know that eBooks did not take over old fashioned media, much like MP3s replaced CDs and cassettes, or Netflix is replacing TV and cable.

But based on the comments section for that NY Times article, and other comments on writers forums and blogs, many would say the article is misleading. Some argue that eBooks will not disappear anytime soon. After all, they are good for traveling and there are certain genres that are good for eBooks, such as erotica and romance. After all, one reason why eBooks were doing so well was because of the popularity of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy.

Another reason why eBooks may be declining is because of how some books are priced at the same amount as print books. Another would be because some eBooks are not archived long enough on the reading devices.

I also cannot help but wonder if the decline of the eBooks has a lot to do with the backlash over self-published books. Many of them are filled with editorial mistakes such as misspelled words, grammatical errors and formatting issues. My book has this problem when I first released it, so I am just as guilty here for hurting the self-publishing/digital book movement that is now struggling. I am still seeing many blog posts and articles complaining about the editorial troubles, with some people swearing off self-published books for good.

I believe eBooks will stick around, but will not erase printed books forever. I think eBooks will be one of the many ways to enjoy a book. For now on, there will be four formats: hardcover, softcover, audio and digital. Audiobooks certainly didn’t ruin printed books, and they are still being used for various reasons. The same will go for digital books.

But in the meantime, eBooks need to look good. The eBook craze coincided with the self-publishing craze and now both are receiving a kind of backlash. In order to keep eBooks around as one of the many preferences to read a book, those who choose to release their books via the digital route need to be more professional and have a business mindset, rather than simply a creative one.

I’m starting off the new year by doing something nice but may be also controversial for some. I’ve created a list on Goodreads’ Listopia. I did it to help Staten Island authors get some recognition, and to show that even a place like The Forgotten Borough can produce good writers. And since I am originally from the Island, I included my book on the list.

This isn’t something I thought up over night. When I first started out in 2012, I asked around Goodreads about adding my book to any of Goodreads’ lists that fit its description. I was told by other authors that while it wasn’t against Goodreads guidelines, it was frowned upon by other users. That made sense to me, because any author could put their books on the wrong lists or over vote their books just for exposure. In other words, they would promote their books in a poor manner that would turn off other readers.

But a couple of months ago, I saw this being discussed in one of the Goodreads groups and while it was agreed that an author could abuse Listopia, it was debated over whether certain lists were OK for an author to put their book on. This was when the Goodreads’ Director of Author Marketing, stepped in and said while it wasn’t advisable to add your book to any “Best of…” or a list that did not fit the genre or category, there was nothing wrong for adding your book to a list that fit its description.

So, let’s say your book takes place in Hawaii or delves heavily into astrology or has a main character with OCD. It is fine to add that book to a list that includes books with similar attributes. Even creating a list is OK if there isn’t one that exists.

I was intrigued. Especially since I was looking for a way to spread the word about fellow Staten Island authors. As some of you may know, I was born and raised there. I may currently live in Brooklyn now and loving it, but Staten Island still matters to me. It’s my hometown!

Now, Brooklyn is known for being the Writing Capital of the United States, or at least the East Coast. It does not need to let the world know about that. Even the other boroughs, Manhattan especially, have recognition as a place where great minds can create great books. Staten Island, on the other hand…

Sadly, it is known as the “armpit” of New York City. That meme above says it all, and many of my Facebook friends laughed uproariously over it. Staten Island is not recognized for anything artistic or intellectual. In fact, it has many negative stereotypes as being conservative and its residents being much like the cast of the Jersey Shore. While those labels may be true for some, you can’t say a place with nearly 500,000 people can’t have a good writer or two.

So why not make it be known?

I began making a list of authors who’s books I would include on my Listopia list. Some I met before when I ran my writing groups. Others I had heard about, like Paul Zindel. I actually read Zindel’s book, “The Pigman”, in junior high and loved that he was a Staten Islander and set that book there. It gave me hope of being an author myself. Because, you know, seeing one of your own succeed is inspiring. 🙂 I also included authors who while they may not have actually lived on Staten Island, they were closely associated with it due to their job.

But I was still hesitant because I’ve heard about authors adding their books to lists and getting labeled by Goodreads authors as an “Author Behaving Badly” because of their spammy promotion tactics. So I emailed Goodreads for a final confirmation, and their response was that my idea was fine, as long as my books were not the only ones on the lists.

That was reassuring. And I can assure you that my book is not the only one on that list. Not only because it will be all alone, but it will just lousy to promote myself that way. And besides, why not give a shout-out to fellow Staten Island authors? This shows that we exist and may give some book loving Islanders some pride.

I know monitoring this list won’t be easy. I’m sure some spammy author will come along, and flood the list his or her work and abuse the voting. I’ll have to make it a twice-weekly effort to make sure that doesn’t happen. My list is free for any author who was born and raised, or lived, or is closely associated with Staten Island. Now, if you are an author who is none of these things, but can prove that your book is set on Staten Island – and Staten Island has to be a setting, not merely mentioned – I’ll add your work because you are closely associated with the borough in that way.

I’m nervous I may get flamed for making this list, but it seems that is all good. After all, I was told twice by Goodreads that my idea is fine. So if they say so, then I feel much better.

1) You Never Leave Home Without a Book:Ha ha, yep! I always have a book with me while commuting to work or some other areas that will take me a while to get to.

4) This might be because you have issues with letting go of your prized editions, and could probably be diagnosed as a hoarder. I still have a large box of books left at my parents’ because I couldn’t fit all of my books into my new place. I’m having difficulty letting go of some of them!

7) But that doesn’t stop you from being obnoxiously pushy and opinionated about your favorite books.
Actually, I get this way with books I despised. Yep, I’m bad 😦

11) Author biographies and Wikipedia pages are your celebrity tabloids…
Not really, but I do like reading them

12) …although part of you may only be interested in how famous writers became so well-loved, because you secretly know that you yourself are only one page away from starting the Great American Novel.
Well, sort of 🙂

17) But regardless of your stance [on eReaders or books], you poured one out when Borders finally shutdown…
Oh yes! I must’ve bought 20 books when that happened.

20) Packing lightly can be an issue; can you really be expected to pack all of your reading material in just twocarry-ons?
LOL! I do tend to overstock on books when traveling. I then have to unpack and choose which one or two books should I bring with me.

24) You fantasize about meeting a romantic interest in a bookstore… Er, pretend you didn’t read that part.

25) And you always judge your potential significant others based on their bookshelves. Atlas Shrugged is more of a red flag than bad manners. Hey, literary tastes say a lot about a person just like music and movies tastes do. No harm done.

27) “So, what do you for fun?” is an anxiety-inducing question. Apparently, most people don’t really think reading is all that fun.Sigh. So true.

31) …and your ideal Friday night involves wine, a comfy chair, and getting lost in a great book.Yes, and no, I am not a loner 🙂

This article, written by a mobile and web design company, Fueled, talks about how New York subways riders do their reading while traveling on one of the world’s largest transit systems. It notes while many use Kindles or other tablets, traditional books are still the norm:

A typical subway experience can be an adventure: riders sitting in more than one seat, straphangers bobbing to their music, the crazies, the snoozers, the gamers and the readers. Some readers prefer their handheld devices, holding on to a pole with one hand and their tablet with the other. But many still crack open their books to escape into another world.

I am one of these commuters. I take the train to and from work five times a week, and on most weekends, I am using the train to get around the city. I’m part of both groups. I have the Kindle app on my iPhone, which I used to read Francis J. Franklin’s Suzie and the Monsters. I am now using it to read a book on personal finance and investment.

But I still bring a traditional book with me to and from work. I do this mostly because I have plenty of books to read, and they are all print books. I am not sure what I will do once I complete all the books on my shelf, but right now, I am not taking sides on the print versus eReader debate.

However, there has been talk that eReaders such as Kindles or Nooks are declining in sales. While eBooks are still popular, there is a sense that they will not put traditional books into extinction.

The aforementioned article makes these points:

There are a number of things to consider in the battle between paper and pixel: cost, physical limitations, reading comprehension and interactive capabilities to name a few. Paper prevails in every measure.

There is something about a bookmark sticking out of your novel that entreats one to pick it back up and give it more quality time. Yes it’s helpful to roll over a word for a definition; but life is about tradeoffs and for many the tactile pleasures of paper are priceless.

People approach computers and tablets with a state of mind that is less conducive to learning than the one they bring to paper. Some studies even suggest that people read slower, less accurately and less comprehensively on screens than on paper because our brain processes printed digital and printed text in different ways.

I agree traditional books are better than eBooks, which sounds totally hypocritical of me since I self-published my book through Amazon Kindle and Smashwords – making my book exclusively for the eBook crowd. But despite this, I do think eBooks have a place in this world. I believe eventually, eReaders and tablets will find ways to make eBooks as personal as print books. I don’t know how exactly, because I am not a tech person, but I don’t think eBooks are a flash in the pan. They wouldn’t have lasted this long or have been this successful if they did not have an appeal.

As long as I am a self-published author, I will release my books as eBooks because it is much easier for me. However, I will use CreateSpace for special editions of my work. I am planning to release print copies of my vampire trilogy, The End of Eternity, once I published the third book, which won’t be for some time. Unless, however, technology changes or the self-publishing craze takes a dramatic turn. And it could, as I had discuss in a previous post where I compared the self-publishing excitement to the California Gold Rush.

These are exciting yet uncertain times for readers, publishers and the book industry. I think the HuffPo article mentioned here is showing New Yorkers, well known for reading during their commutes all over the metropolitan area, are an illustration of the uncertain future of books. The final paragraph sums it all up:

NYC subway riders embrace e-readers for a number of reasons, most notably: portability, accessibility and convenience. Is print dead? Not necessarily. Print doesn’t have to become obsolete for digital to flourish; they’re different and complementing experiences. Our world is increasingly immersed in technology. Let’s hold on to this special treasure for a little while longer. At least until the next stop.

You probably heard the news today. That dreadful news many writers knew would happen sooner or later, but probably hoped to some degree that it would never happen.

Barnes & Noble announced that a third of its stores will close during the next decade. That means of the 689 current stores it has now, about 200 will close. That sounds like a lot. Frighteningly a lot, even if the number isn’t that big. It does beat out the way Borders closed down in a rapid pace in 2011, due to financial difficulties, but it still sounds ominous.

When I first heard whispers about B&N closing some of its stores, my first thought was, “Oh no! No more books! Where am I going to browse lazily during a free day? Where can I go to write, surrounded by coffee and bookshelves?” I spent a lot of time at my local B&N writing my book. Being in its small cafe area felt great because having so many books filling your view inspired me to one day be an author myself. Even though I chose to self-publish my novel as an eBook, being at B&N while writing felt motivating.

But am I a hypocrite to feel sad that my favorite writing place and store is closing due to readers preferring eBooks? After all, releasing an eBook myself and not a POD book was really me encouraging the use of eBooks rather than an actual book.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

But why did I do that? Besides choosing to self-publish, I chose to release my book on Kindle and Smashwords because it was easy – both with time and finance. I would’ve invested into printing copies of my book to give to stores where I live – but the last indie store lost it’s lease and Barnes & Noble’s regulations for self-published books were kind of tight. So, I stuck with the eBook.

Am I to blame for the decline of paper-and-cover books? Of course not. I would never had released my novel as an eBook if there weren’t so many book lovers buying them. It’s kind of a two-sided issue: many of us like to hold and smell an actual book, but find eReaders so convenient. Even authors who prefer selling their work as traditional books admit to downloading books onto their eReaders for the speed and to read while traveling.

It is like we are own worst enemies. We want book stores to stick around forever, but yet we fuel the digital age by reading eBooks. We like the atmosphere of a bookstore, but the speed of downloading a book is more proof of society’s poor attention span as of late.

I think the decline of bookstores and actual books has more to do with human nature than technology itself. Technology is not the monster, perhaps we are.

And also, another culprit is online shopping. How many of us order books through Amazon? I’ve done it, when I wanted a book that wasn’t easy to find – plus, I just so happen to have a coupon.

I hope my local B&N stays around for a long while. It is the only bookstore left where I live. The local Target has a book section, but that means nothing in comparison to a bookstore. There’s a couple of second-hand bookstores where you can sell your old books, but they are small and are a hike from where I live.

Also, where will I go to write my books? I do go to Starbucks and Panera, but sometimes I need a change of scenery and I go to B&N to its Starbucks. It is not easy getting a spot, or even an outlet for my laptop, but the atmosphere is worth it. Being surrounded by the works of the authors who came before me is inspiring.

I wonder how future writers will be inspired if bookstores become obsolete? I guess glancing at their eReaders may help them move along.

I was dusting my furniture this afternoon, and when I got to my bookshelf, I started to think about the books resting on them. I thought about how much I enjoyed each one, if I really wanted to see if the authors of those books had any other books out (I have so many to-read books on my other shelf that I am hesitant to add to it), and so on. But when I thought about the books, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Afghan novelist, Khaled Hosseini, I found myself wishing so much that Hosseini would put out another book.

Don’t judge me based on the design of my blog. As I mentioned in my previous post, I do read other genres besides urban fantasy/paranormal. I actually prefer books that take me somewhere else – be it another time in history, another country in the world, another dimension or subculture in our world, or even a country with an alternative history to it. Just take me somewhere different to my world, and have a great story to it.

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Hosseini certainly did that. From the moment I read the first words in each of his books, I was pulled in everything about Afghanistan – its people, its history, its conflicts, its heartbreaks. I really learned a lot about a country that was a big part of news reports for most of the past decade. I also was drawn into the lives of the characters he wrote about – Leila and Mariam, Amir and Hassan. They were so memorable and so real. I felt as though I was standing right in front of them, watching their scenes close-up and feeling everything they were going through. That is the definition of a great author, in my opinion.

That is why I would love it if Hosseini wrote another book. A Thousand Splendid Suns was published several years ago, and that was his last book. I understand Hosseini is now a UNCHR ambassador and works hard for his people these days, which can take up time to writing a new novel. It makes perfect sense, and I’m not disappointed in him. Priorities are priorities.

It is just Afghanistan has changed a lot since the Taliban fell in 2001, and I’m sure there are still some amazing stories that can be thought up that can take place during this period. I’m certain Hosseini can create another set of very real characters while telling the reader about Afghan history and society. His writing style is breathtaking and it really sucks you in – I can’t emphasize that enough. He has both a storytelling gift, and an educating gift – the perfect combination for any writer.

And if and when he ever does publish another book, I will be reserving my copy the minute I hear about – guaranteed!

This week – September 30th through October 6th – marks the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week, a time to celebrate the books that faced adversity from those who do not believe in freedom of speech or that readers can decide for themselves what content belongs in a book or not.

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When I find out which books have been put on the list of books that should be banned from libraries, bookstores, and other places where books can be found, it is amazing to me that those books are considered offensive. Some of them are based on historic fact, like To Kill A Mockingbird, which portrays racism in the South before the Civil Rights movement. Yes, racism is a painful subject, and institutionalized racism is a stain on American history. But should we really shield people, especially young readers, from those facts? If they don’t know what African-Americans went through in this country, they’ll never understand the world they live in today. Furthermore, if you’re going to teach students in history class that black people were second-class citizens in the U.S. at one point, but fail to have them read novels that go in-depth into the anguish that they went through, you are kind of being hypocritical in educating young people.

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Another example is the Harry Potter series. Some religious people feel the books promote witchcraft and the occult, which they believe violates their beliefs. OK, that’s fine. But why go on a campaign to ban Harry Potter from every library and bookstore in the country? I heard rumors of the books being burned during the height of the banning campaign. That is just silly! If you don’t want your child to read something that goes against the religion you are teaching them, then simply forbid them, not every child in America! This kind of book banning is just another case of enforcing personal beliefs on everyone else, which really is not very wise.

Lastly, one of my favorite YA books is on this list. The Giver by Lois Lowry blew me, and my eighth grade classmates away by making us think seriously and hard about a society so obsessed with being perfect that it turns its citizens into almost robots. This book won awards for making young readers think across the country, but it also caused a lot of controversy because it is laced with euthanasia and suicide. I agree those are troubling topics for anyone, but by having those issues in her book, Ms. Lowry made her readers think long and hard about the possibilities of that happening if such a society were to come into existence. As far as I know, no one became traumatized from The Giver. Most likely shocked, but I really doubt someone locked themselves in a room for days after reading this book. I also highly disagree with anyone who says the novel promotes euthanasia, because it really does not. Anyone who insists that it does probably did not read the book well or read it at all.

Anyway, those are the examples on why book banning is silly to me. There is no sense in keeping history a secret, or forcing your beliefs on others, or believing a book will radically transform the world. People are not that weak-minded or gullible, so please give readers credit.

It is also not part of democracy to ban books. Democracy is more than allowing citizens to choose their political representatives. It allows people to think for themselves and not be controlled by others. By having the freedom to read a variety of books, citizens will expand their minds and see their world differently, which could make the world a better place. Censorship only leads to shutting down those minds and not allowing progress to take place in society. It also does not give people the freedom to live their own lives in the way that doesn’t allow them to fulfill their destinies as human beings. So, there is no way someone can be for banning books and still believe in democracy.

Those are my thoughts about book banning during the 30th anniversary of the week that celebrates the works that caused delightful controversy in America. If you want to find out more about this event check out these websites:

I’m sure many of you heard of today’s news about how adult fiction eBooks outsold hardcover books in 2011 for the very first time. While this Reuters article claims that print books of all kinds – hardcover, mass market and trade paperback – still outnumber eBooks in sales, today’s report has made it clear that eBooks are here to stay and their popularity could more than likely continue to rise in the future.

As a result, writers and readers across the board are probably wondering if print books will become obsolete in the years to come. For example, take a look at CDs. Ever since the iPod came along and music lovers could download whatever song they wanted off the Internet, sales of CDs went down. I remember going to Best Buy ten years ago and having no problem finding the CDs. There were endless rows of them and I would spend a long while checking out the various artists that were displayed. Nowadays, when I buy CDs for my parents, I have to hunt for that section. Those endless rows of various genres have now been reduced to three or four rows altogether. Even the CD section of my local Target has been rearranged to accommodate the poor demand for them. It almost looks pathetic to even have a CD section in a major store because not too many people need them anymore. Why spend $14.99 on something that you could get online for $9.99? Better yet, why buy an entire CD because you like one song from someone when you could easily get that sole song online?

This simplistic attitude is much like readers who choose to read their stories off eBooks. It is easier to store several books on a device rather than to pack all of them for a trip. It also prevents anyone from knowing what a person is reading because no device advertizes the book cover for the public to see (hence why so many women feel at ease reading Fifty Shades of Grey). Ebooks are also a lot slimmer than a book, the spots to place them are kind of endless. For example, if a woman reads an eBook while traveling to work, she could easily slip the device into her shoulder bag once she reaches her stop. With a print book, she would have to worry about squeezing it into her bag and hope it doesn’t get damaged.

Those are good points, I admit. But there is nothing like holding a book in your hands. The aroma of the pages. The excitement of turning the pages during a suspenseful scene. It feels more intimate, I think, to use a traditional book to do your reading. I don’t think you can get that from a digital screen.

But time will tell. There are some humans who adapt to the changing times and go with the flow. I do think by the end of this decade, books will be like those CD sections in Best Buy and Target. Sad, especially since there is nothing like going to a bookstore and spending a day there. But it is highly possible.

I don’t want to start lamenting over the beginning of the end of books, really I don’t! I do think there is hope that the print book will survive this digital revolution. I may be dead wrong, though. Humans evolve, we always have. And who knows, maybe down the road the eBook will open new doors for everyone – and not just indie authors like me. This is a journey we are all on, and I have to admit, it could be both scary and exciting at the same time. So, let’s fasten our safety belts and hang on tight!

Sometimes when I am writing, I wonder if there were ever a soundtrack to a book, what would mine sound like?

I usually do that when I am working on something, and my upcoming novel was no different. As I wrote The Dark Proposal, I could hear either rock/heavy metal sounds or even female singer-songwriter songs, depending on the scene. If there were a way I could create a soundtrack album to my book, it would sound like this:

Since my story is about a college graduate named Claire McCormick, I could hear the music of Swedish indie artist Lykke Li as I wrote about her. Yes, that singer had contributed the song “Possibility” to one of the soundtracks of the Twilight series, New Moon, but that is not why I think her music would work with Claire. Lykke Li’s voice sounds young and has a ring of innocence to it. Maybe that’s because it’s kind of high pitched. But either way, the upbeat songs of Lykke Li would work with Claire’s emotions over falling in love with Daniel Bertrand, and at the same time, the sad, dark tunes would echo Claire’s depression and terror over Daniel’s revelation that he is a vampire who wants to make her one too…or else.

For the intense vampire scenes, there were will a lot of rock music, particularly by Sleigh Bells, a new favorite act of mine. This hipster heavy metal duo literally shred at their guitars and bash at their percussion instruments. When I listen to their two albums Treats and Reign of Terror on my iTunes, I could envision the vampires in my book hitting the streets of New York City, looking for their next prey. Their fangs are growing out and they focus on the veins of passerby’s necks. Just the act of jabbing their fangs into someone in an alleyway, the victim’s blood pouring into their mouths, creates the sound of Sleigh Bells.

Along with that group would be Evanescence. The goth rock band would work because lead singer Amy Lee was inspired by the Underworld movies to create the songs from her band’s second album, The Open Door. Plus, there is some sadness and anguish towards the end of my novel, so that group definitely works – as well as Within Temptation. The Dutch symphonic-metal band have a soaring sound to their work, which seems to resonate emotions from both a long time ago, and the current times. Since vampires are immortal, they are creatures from bygone eras living in our days. Classical music mixed with heavy rock sounds would work perfectly with the vampire characters in my book.

I can’t help but wonder if someday books will come with music soundtracks. Hey, who knows? Technology is evolving, and there are video trailers for books – meaning, a medium that uses images and sounds for another medium that only relies on words across paper or a screen. I guess it is safe to say anything is possible.

What about you? Can you hear certain artists in your head while you write? What sort of music soundtrack would you create if your book needed one?

You’re probably raising an eyebrow right now, thinking, “how on earth can someone figure out what category their book belongs in – weeks before it comes out?”

Yeah, I know. But its not like I was completely clueless over how to classify my novel, The Dark Proposal. I already knew its genre…because it is about vampires, so yeah it’s a vampire novel.

But what kind of vampire novel?

You have vampire romance, vampire horror, vampire YA. Neither of descriptions fit my book because there’s no romance throughout, its not gory enough, and the main character is a college graduate, not a high school student.

My book is an urban fantasy, yes, but what exactly is it target audience? Like I said, teenagers cannot be the prime target, even if some may be interested in a young woman learning about life after college.

As the deadline drew nearer for me to upload my novel onto Amazon Kindle, I was getting nervous on the exact category to put my work under.

Luckily, I just happened to be on Twitter this evening for the weekly #indiechat, where indie authors gather. The topic was the newest genre for novels: NA – or New Adult.

We are all aware of YA – Young Adult. That is for books which focus on the teenage years of the main characters. It generally is geared to 12 – 17 year olds, though some grown adults do read those books. After YA, though, there’s nothing but books aimed at adults who are 25 and older. What about the 18 – 24 year olds? You know, those who are in college or just graduated, struggling to become adults, learning to be independent and the ways of the world. Seems like that time period is not represented much in the literary world, despite it being a tumultuous and exciting time for anybody.

NA is still relatively new and as far as I know, the genre has only been thought up a couple of years ago. So, it has to grow a lot more in order to be noticed by the average reader and booksellers.

But even so, the very moment I learned what NA stood for, I knew I had at last found my genre for my book. The main character of my story, Claire McCormick is 22 years old and a recent college graduate. Along with her friends/roommates – Samantha DiCarlo and Monica Alejandrez – she struggles with post-college life. The three share an apartment and are trying to find work in a dismal economy (yes, The Dark Proposal takes place in the present day). Claire also is embarking on her first real adult romance with college professor Daniel Bertrand (who by the way she did not have as a student; she meets him as she works part-time at her alma mater’s English department office). Unfortunately, things do not turn out the way Claire hoped for in that relationship – which is what my book is all about.

So there you have it. A new genre not just for me, but for all writers looking for a way to classify their work. I’m excited about this because there is a lot of opportunity with NA books. As I said, anyone in their early 20s can remember those days as when they first began their adult steps. It’s a fun, awesome and scary time, and I truly believe there is an audience waiting to devour those books.